An Epic Namibia to Cape Town Road Trip
A road trip for the tasteful adventurer – This 17-day itinerary combines a rugged self-drive with some of the best lodges in Africa. Navigate yourself between luxury camps through Namibia’s otherworldly deserts and South Africa’s dry Karoo, before arriving at the Indian Ocean at the picturesque Grootbos Nature Reserve. View the map at the end of this page for details on the route. Highlights include safari game drives, climbing the massive dunes of Sossusvlei, and whale watching in season.
A road trip for the tasteful adventurer – This 17-day itinerary combines a rugged self-drive with some of the best lodges in Africa.
Fauna only books the best lodges and camps for our itineraries to ensure that you have an inspiring travel experience. Contact us to customize this to your preferences, dreams, and room availability.
✧ Your custom travel playlist includes Vieux Farke Toure’s “Ali”
The famed guitarist’s recent collaboration with the Houston-based Kruangbin may be more West African, but the smooth African guitar rhythms set the perfect pace for a long road trip.
In classic style, you will spend your first couple of days in Africa on safari. Arrive in Windhoek, the capital of Namibia, pick up your 4×4 vehicle, and drive 30 minutes from the airport to Habitas Namibia, a design-forward safari lodge perched atop a hill overlooking the savannah. Days can be spent on game drives or having an in-room massage to unwind from the flight. Habitas also offers several non-traditional activities such as meditation and DJ sets.
This five-hour drive will be the first long leg of your trip, where you will cross from the savannah around Windhoek and into the deserts Namibia is famous for. Your destination is Little Kulala, a luxury lodge located at the edge of the Namib-Naukluft National Park near the massive dunes of the Sossusvlei. Outdoor plunge pools and star beds are now included in every suite in the lodge, so we will try to align your trip with a new moon if possible for the best stargazing. Besides dune climbing, activities include e-biking, hot air ballooning, and searching for desert-adapted wildlife such as oryx.
Wake up early for a six-hour drive to the world’s second-largest canyon, Fish River Canyon. Fish River Canyon Lodge is a stylish hotel perched along the canyon rim. It makes for a lovely spot to unwind with a cocktail and a good book. The next day can be spent hiking or on other excursions exploring the canyon.
The next leg of your trip crosses into South Africa, and the dry Karoo landscape. Your destination is Bushman’s Kloof, a spectacular spa resort tucked among the rocks. However, the drive there is a little over eight hours. We suggest a stopover halfway at the quirky domes of Naries Namakwa Retreat or equipping your vehicle with a roof tent so that you can sleep under the stars for a night.
You’ve been on the road for a while now, and Bushman’s Kloof is the perfect place to dust off before the last leg of your trip. The resort has a highly regarded spa and dining program to rejuvenate you. Meditation on the natural environment is a consistent theme at Bushman’s Kloof because they believe that it can be the most healing treatment of all. There is also plenty to explore in the surrounding Cederberg Mountains, as the property protects some of the best San rock art in South Africa.
It has been quite a journey. After almost two weeks on the road, exploring the dry interior of Southern Africa, the spectacular blues of the Southern Atlantic will overwhelm your senses. In spring you will also be treated to one of the best wildflower blooms on the planet. Here you will be staying at Grootbos Nature Reserve, a spectacular resort that bills itself as a water safari. Here you can swim with great white sharks and go whale watching in season. You may simply want to walk along the ocean and contemplate how far you’ve come.
Spend a final day or two in Cape Town, exploring the city’s restaurants and cultural sights. Wine lovers can also extend this part of the trip to visit the scenic Cape Winelands.
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